Lakers' LeBron James Excites Fans for Adding 1st-Ever NBA IST Championship to Legacy

LeBron James can now say he has something Michael Jordan doesn't—an NBA In-Season Tournament Championship.

James and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers 123-109 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to claim the first-ever in-season tournament title.

It was an impressive showing for the trio of James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, in particular. Some might even say it was a masterclass by Davis, who notched 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in the win.

Reaves, meanwhile, finished with 28 points, two rebounds and three assists, and James notched 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals en route to winning the In-Season Tournament MVP award.

While Davis was a big talking point for NBA fans due to his play on both ends of the court, James drew praise from fans across the league on X, formerly known as Twitter, for adding to his ever-growing legacy after claiming the NBA Cup:

The Lakers have been at the top of their game from the moment the in-season tournament tipped off last month.

L.A. won each of its four group stage matchups against the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz to win Western Conference Group A and secure a berth in the knockout stages.

The Purple and Gold went on to secure victories over the Suns and New Orleans Pelicans to luck up a spot in the championship game, and those victories can be attributed to the play of James, who head coach Darvin Ham has referred to as an MVP frontrunner this year.

James averaged 30.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2.5 steals over those two games.

The 38-year-old continues to show why he is one of the best players in NBA history, and what he is doing at his age is nothing short of remarkable.

With the IST title locked up, James and the Lakers can now focus on winning the trophy that matters most—the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. James is seeking his fifth NBA title and first since 2020.